Joe Biden: Gun owners like feel of weapons, 'like driving a Ferrari'

Vice President Joe Biden framed the debate over gun control in the colorful way only he can, comparing the appeal of an AR-15 to driving a luxury car on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Thursday.

“It used to be we were dealing almost exclusively with hunters," Biden said. "There’s a whole new sort of group of individuals now who, I don’t know what the numbers are, that never hunt at all, but they own guns for one of two reasons: self protection or they just like the feel of that AR-15 at the range."

"They like the way it feels. You know, it’s like driving a Ferrari.”

He pointed to repeated polling showing the wide public support for measures lawmakers have resisted, particularly on background checks.

The people are far ahead of politicians, he said, “I mean so far ahead. You saw it in immigration, you saw it in marriage issues. You’re seeing it now, the public has moved to a different place.”

But he also pushed for changes for which public support is softer, including a ban on assault-style weapons and ammunition clips larger than 10 rounds.

“If there had only been ten bullets in each clip, [the shooter] would have had to change the clip an additional three to five times," he said. "One of those kids would be alive. Somebody would be alive."

“What is the inconvenience? What are we doing? What are we doing to impact on a gun owners’ right if he only has a clip with ten rounds in it instead of 30 rounds in it?”

The vice president has taken the lead on pushing for an overhaul of gun laws, holding talks earlier this year between gun owners, gun control advocates, businesses, mental health care experts and even video game makers in the months following the December massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn.

Just hours after Biden's comments, the Senate defeated a filibuster attempt to pave the way for a vote on new gun-control legislation.

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